Tems
Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems (born June 11, 1995), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer signed to RCA_Records.
She is particularly well-known for her contribution to the Wizkid track “Essence,” which hit the top ten of the Hot 100 after a remix with Justin Bieber and got her a Grammy Award nomination.
She was featured on Drake’s song “Fountains,” which premiered and peaked at number 26 on the Hot 100 in the same year.
Profile
Name: | Openiyi Temilade |
Also known as: | Tems |
Date of birth: | 11 June, 1995(27 years of age) |
Born: | Lagos, Nigeria |
Nationality: | Nigerian |
Profession: | Singer, Song writer |
Spouse: | Not married |
Children: | None |
Early life and education
Temilade Openiyi was born in Lagos, Nigeria on June 11, 1995. Shortly after her birth, her Nigerian mother and British-Nigerian father relocated to the United Kingdom.
Her parents separated when she was five years old. Tems moved to Nigeria with her mother and brother, first settling in Ilupeju and subsequently Lekki and Ajah.
Tems attended Dowen College before pursuing a tertiary education in Economics at Monash University, South Africa.
She learnt to play the piano after her music teacher discovered her talent at school. She rehearsed her singing with her brother, frequently employing his guitar accompaniment.
Career
Tems abandoned her work in 2018 to pursue a career in music. She began learning self-production skills on YouTube, and on July 18, 2018, she published her self-produced debut single, “Mr Rebel.” On August 7, 2019, she released the single “Try Me.”
DJ Edu selected her as one of the “ten musicians to watch” in 2020. On April 23, 2020, Tems and fellow Nigerian artist Davido were featured on a remix of “Know Your Worth” by American singer-songwriter Khalid and English electronic music duo Disclosure.
Tems released her debut extended play, For Broken Ears, on September 25, 2020. It was primarily produced by her, and the single “Damages” from the EP became another follow-up hit to “Try Me,” reaching number one on the Nigerian Apple Music chart and number six on the then-recently formed TurnTable Top 50 chart, with five million YouTube views.
Tems was featured on fellow Nigerian artist Wizkid’s single “Essence” off his fourth studio album Made in Lagos on October 30, 2020. This song landed her at the top of the BBC 1Xtra Airplay Chart.
Legal issues
On December 14, 2020, Tems and fellow Nigerian musician Omah Lay were arrested in Uganda following a performance.
The Ugandan police cited a violation of COVID-19 lockdown regulations as the reason for their detention, but the two artists believed they had been set up.
Two days later, the government of Uganda released them, apologized for their arrests, and dismissed the charges.
Social media
Tems is well-known on social media as a representation of the influence of Afrobeats on mainstream culture.
Through the content she uploads on her social media sites, she engages with her fan base and attracts new listeners to her music.
Currently, the singer has more than 1.8 million Instagram followers and more than 692k Twitter followers.
- Twitter: @Temsbaby
- Soundcloud: Temsbaby
- Instagram: @Temsbaby
Awards and nomination
Tems has won a Soul Train Music Award, two NAACP Image Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance.
Tems was included in The Future Awards Africa: Class of 2020 on November 8, 2020.
Private life
Tems briefly taught elementary school in the United Kingdom. She attended an expensive primary school for her elementary education after returning to Nigeria.
She attended Dowen College, Lekki, for her senior year of high school and graduated with honors.For her university studies, she attended a South African university for her university studies.
She received her Economics degree from a university in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Discography
- If Orange Was A Place
- For The Broken Ears
- Mr Rebel
- Free Mind
- Damages
- Try Me
- Essence (featured by Wizkid)
- Illumination (Album)
- The Key
- Fountains (featured by Drake)
- Crazy Tings
Net Worth
The anticipated net worth of Tems in 2022 is approximately $1 million US dollars. She has established herself as one of the top five female Nigerian singers in the music industry and as the most successful artist.